Kia Motors Corporation announced today that it has renewed its sponsorship of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas as a worldwide automobile partner, commencing with the First Round taking place February 10 ~ 12, 2006 in 24 countries around the world. Over the past three years, the Davis Cup/Kia Motors partnership has created tremendous synergy for both parties by delivering the joy and excitement of the Davis Cup to tennis fans around the world.
Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors, said, “The first phase of Kia’s partnership with the ITF (International Tennis Federation) in sponsoring the Davis Cup proved to be valuable in supporting our rapid global expansion -- particularly into the European market -- while imparting Kia’s ‘exciting and enabling’ brand image among the legions of tennis fans around the world. The renewal of our Davis Cup sponsorship can be seen as Kia Motors’ desire to get even closer to the fans by broadening our marketing spectrum through stepped-up on-line and on-site promotional activities.”
ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said, “We are very pleased that Kia Motors has decided to continue its sponsorship of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. They are an outstanding partner and we look forward to a long, successful relationship with them.”
ITF Executive Vice President Juan Margets added, “There is great harmony between Davis Cup and Kia Motors’ concept of getting closer to the fans. Our partnership with Kia is consistent with the spirit of the Davis Cup and we expect, with their support, to add even more fun to the Davis Cup experience for the fans.”
Kia Motors’ renewal of the sponsorship can be viewed as a clear indication of its strong commitment to the sport of tennis in targeting adventurous and young-at-heart customers while becoming a respected global automotive player.
As an official worldwide sponsor and car of the Davis Cup from 2006-2008, Kia Motors will supply more than 300 vehicles annually around the world to support the transportation needs of the ITF and its respective member federations.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com) -- one of the fastest growing automakers in the world -- was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands. Kia’s 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in 7 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia today has over 32,500 employees and annual revenues of over $15 billion . It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World Cup. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan -- “The Power to Surprise” -- represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.
